 Beat the Retreat (1994) [ larger cover art ] |
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When the spell is broken
When the spell is broken
How you ever gonna keep her now
You can't cry if you don't know how
When the spell is broken
When the spell is broken
All the joy is gone from her face
Welcome back to the human race
How long can the flame
Of love remain
When you curse and fight
And never see like
Or hear like spoken
When the spell is broken
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
When the spell is broken
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
Oh when the spell is broken
All your magic and your ways and schemes
All your lies come and tear at your dreams
When the spell is broken
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
When the spell is broken
Now you're handing her that same old line
It's just straws in the wind this time
When love has died,
There's none starry-eyed
No kiss, no tears,
No farewell souvenirs
Not even a token, when the spell is broken
Don't swear your heart
From the very start
Love letters you wrote
Are pushed back down you throat
And leave you choking, when the spell is broken
(When the spell, When the spell, When the spell is broken)
When the spell is broken
When the spell is broken
(When the spell, When the spell, When the spell is broken)
When the spell is broken
When the spell is broken
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(You can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how
When the spell is broken
How you ever gonna keep her now
You can't cry if you don't know how
When the spell is broken
When the spell is broken
All the joy is gone from her face
Welcome back to the human race
How long can the flame
Of love remain
When you curse and fight
And never see like
Or hear like spoken
When the spell is broken
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
When the spell is broken
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
Oh when the spell is broken
All your magic and your ways and schemes
All your lies come and tear at your dreams
When the spell is broken
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
When the spell is broken
Now you're handing her that same old line
It's just straws in the wind this time
When love has died,
There's none starry-eyed
No kiss, no tears,
No farewell souvenirs
Not even a token, when the spell is broken
Don't swear your heart
From the very start
Love letters you wrote
Are pushed back down you throat
And leave you choking, when the spell is broken
(When the spell, When the spell, When the spell is broken)
When the spell is broken
When the spell is broken
(When the spell, When the spell, When the spell is broken)
When the spell is broken
When the spell is broken
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(You can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how)
(Can't cry if you don't know how
| Boy_Wonder (Bath, back in the UK) | Posted: May 14, 2013 - 13:17 fredriley wrote: That's quite some captcha on the cover :o). Great rendition of a blues classic, too (at least, I think it's a cover - I sit ready to be corrected). 8 from the toe-tappin' Nottingham jury. Sorry Fred, you are corrected, an RT original from "Across a Crowded Room" - mid 80's |
| Boy_Wonder (Bath, back in the UK) | Posted: May 14, 2013 - 13:14 SwampYankee wrote: It's a solid 8; the original by Richard Thompson is a 10. Agreed... RT can do little wrong! |
| Giselle62 (many bear, big rock, estuary California) | Posted: May 08, 2013 - 21:54 "love letters you wrote well they're pushed back down your throat" RT can write some songs. |
| Giselle62 (many bear, big rock, estuary California) | Posted: May 08, 2013 - 21:53 yep, Blind Boys on backup.. i have this know this by heart. I like X's version "Shoot out the Lights" |
| hippiechick (topsy turvy land) | Posted: Apr 23, 2013 - 05:57 Bonnie is the master of sad songs. |
| gypsyman (just passing through....) | Posted: Apr 07, 2013 - 18:08 mattrettig wrote: Sounds like Blind Boys of Alabama on backup vox. Anyone know? There is such a duet, but it didn't happen at Red Rocks. See link. br_bb |
| mattrettig | Posted: Apr 07, 2013 - 18:02 Sounds like Blind Boys of Alabama on backup vox. Anyone know? |
| gypsyman (just passing through....) | Posted: Apr 07, 2013 - 18:00 coloradojohn wrote: I count myself blessed for having seen her sing and jam and weave her vocal spells with Stevie Ray at Red Rocks! Sing, Bonnie, sing! Was at that show. Only entered comments to say the same thing - Bonnie live is exquisite! (And cj is always ahead of me on these observations) Rock on, brother.... |
| coloradojohn (A Mile High and then some, Cherry Creek, Denver) | Posted: Mar 22, 2013 - 18:33 I count myself blessed for having seen her sing and jam and weave her vocal spells with Stevie Ray at Red Rocks! Sing, Bonnie, sing! |
| drivingunit103 (around the 4 western provinces) | Posted: Feb 19, 2013 - 08:15 Bonnie's great here - vocals and guitar! |
| BLADERUNNER (Port City on the Cape Fear) | Posted: Feb 19, 2013 - 08:14 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! |
| sssterling | Posted: Dec 18, 2012 - 16:08 Her backup singers are absolutely KILLER! Of course she's beyond awesome. |
| bhambaker (Pacific Northwest, USA) | Posted: Oct 01, 2012 - 11:30 Right up there with Brother Ray with that rich note bending voice and ability to make one feel blue. |
| RedGuitar (Iowa, USA) | Posted: Oct 01, 2012 - 11:27 SwampYankee wrote: It's a solid 8; the original by Richard Thompson is a 10. I'd agree with you. |
| shellbella (so california) | Posted: Sep 15, 2012 - 09:35 Love it!! |
| calypsus_1 (East of Eden) | Posted: Apr 26, 2012 - 15:32 wow, is similar to my turntable vinyl records .... good memories from this raw and direct sound! . DaveInVA wrote:  I like the original also.... |
| philbertr (Roch New York) | Posted: Apr 10, 2012 - 08:05 gatorade wrote: Bring it on Bonnie! Always just flowing thru the bones of the audiences, bands, and the vibes are soooo good. Thanks Bonnie. True Pedigree. This ex-Gator agrees with you 100!! |
| helgigermany (Germany) | Posted: Feb 23, 2012 - 01:24 Nice! |
| DaveInVA (In a hovel in effluent Damnville, VA) | Posted: Dec 05, 2011 - 08:44 I like the original also.... |
| Bocephus (Boulder, CO) | Posted: Sep 17, 2011 - 15:54 Makes me want to hear the original. Nothing against Bonnie, but the original is much better. |
| SwampYankee (Berkley, MA) | Posted: Sep 17, 2011 - 15:53 It's a solid 8; the original by Richard Thompson is a 10. |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Aug 01, 2011 - 09:04 That's quite some captcha on the cover :o). Great rendition of a blues classic, too (at least, I think it's a cover - I sit ready to be corrected). 8 from the toe-tappin' Nottingham jury. |
| gypsyman (just passing through....) | Posted: Jun 30, 2011 - 23:43 RideMaine wrote: First heard/saw Bonnie at the Melody Tent on Cape Cod... and I fell in love. With Bonnie and with the woman who is now my wife and has been for the last 17 years. That was our first date. Happy sigh... Very cool. I first saw her outdoors at Capitol Park in downtown Hartford. |
| RideMaine (Coast o' Maine) | Posted: Mar 12, 2011 - 12:57 First heard/saw Bonnie at the Melody Tent on Cape Cod... and I fell in love. With Bonnie and with the woman who is now my wife and has been for the last 17 years. That was our first date. Happy sigh... |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Jan 24, 2011 - 11:09 DaveInVA wrote: Here is the cover art for this LP..  There are many other great cover songs on it also by groups such as REM etc A time capsule of sorts. X no longer exists. And whatever happened to Dinosaur, Jr., Syd Straw, and Evan Dando? Remember when Dando was all over the pop tabloids? Too funny. |
| maxmox (Broome, Western Australia) | Posted: Jan 08, 2011 - 21:58 gatorade wrote: Bring it on Bonnie! Always just flowing thru the bones of the audiences, bands, and the vibes are soooo good. Thanks Bonnie. True Pedigree. And you should see Richard Thompson doing his song live!!! Caught him solo, at WOMAD one time, AWESOME!! |
| gatorade (Ocean Park, WA) | Posted: Aug 02, 2010 - 23:43 Bring it on Bonnie! Always just flowing thru the bones of the audiences, bands, and the vibes are soooo good. Thanks Bonnie. True Pedigree. |
| Giselle62 (California's Cental Coast) | Posted: Apr 29, 2010 - 14:06 DaveInVA wrote: Here is the cover art for this LP.. There are many other great cover songs on it also by groups such as REM etc DITTO |
| Giselle62 (California's Cental Coast) | Posted: Apr 29, 2010 - 14:05 good guitar, too, of course. |
| helgigermany (Germany) | Posted: Apr 29, 2010 - 14:03 Nice!! |
| philbertr (Hurricane Target Florida) | Posted: Apr 29, 2010 - 14:03 NarfU wrote: Love the song. Is that the Blind Boys of Alabama backing her up?  Oh, yes! (Thank you, Jesus!) |
| Bodhisattva (Charlottesville, VA) | Posted: Apr 13, 2010 - 15:19 This is one of those covers where the artist definitely adds something that wasn't there in the original. Great stuff.  |
| Giselle62 (California's Cental Coast) | Posted: Feb 09, 2010 - 12:53 I like the words to this song—it's a very sing-alongable version here. |
| DaveInVA (In a crumbling Queen Anne mansion in Damnville, VA) | Posted: Nov 07, 2009 - 06:49 Here is the cover art for this LP.. There are many other great cover songs on it also by groups such as REM etc |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: Nov 01, 2009 - 17:01 Bonnie Raitt - "Something To Talk About" Live (1980's) "Interesting discussion about Br and Adele —who I think is just great. To me Adele's smokey, plaintive voice reminds me .of the late, great Dusty.Springfield. To me, the contemporary singer that you can tell listened to a couple of thousand of Bonnie Raitt tunes is blues powerhouse Susan Tedeschi." zalman595
|
| jameyp (New York via Austin) | Posted: Aug 20, 2009 - 14:45 Bonnie is so awesome! love the easy soulfullness of her songs  |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Aug 20, 2009 - 14:26 bokey wrote: Interesting.Thompson is a great guitarist but fire and passion aren't words I associate with him. Homogenized certainly is. And lifeless? I can listen to RT with no problem but it doesn't grab me. To each their own. You've probably never seen Richard Thompson perform live (with or without a backing band). He is extremely passionate and very far from homogenized or lifeless. But, as you wrote: "to each their own".  |
| Bat (Austin) | Posted: Aug 20, 2009 - 14:25 I like this version - gave it an 8 - because the guitar and vocals are so nice. But maybe too nice. This song should be sung with bitterness, not sadness. |
| holborne (New York) | Posted: May 01, 2009 - 12:10 katyb wrote: I know this comes from a tribute album but this version is way too anemic; try Richard Thompson's version to hear how this tune should rightly sound. Agree. This is pretty meh, to put it kindly. |
| katyb | Posted: Feb 27, 2009 - 10:38 I know this comes from a tribute album but this version is way too anemic; try Richard Thompson's version to hear how this tune should rightly sound. |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: Dec 26, 2008 - 09:33  |
| stkman (Texas) | Posted: Dec 26, 2008 - 06:28 Glockman45 wrote: her talent is absolutely over rated! guess that depends on who's rating her, not her best or worst but the woman can play the blues I prefer early Raitt tho her work with John Lee is very good |
| NarfU | Posted: Dec 26, 2008 - 06:19 Love the song. Is that the Blind Boys of Alabama backing her up? |
| peter_james_bond (Lunenburg, NS) | Posted: Dec 10, 2008 - 10:32 robco1 wrote: Bonnie Raitt - When the Spell Is Broken Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You Nice segue! That's the magic of RP  |
| radiojunkie (Don't get out much) | Posted: Dec 10, 2008 - 10:30 Ignorant of the earlier versions, I am enjoying this one. |
| Bocephus (Boulder, CO) | Posted: Dec 10, 2008 - 10:26 asbellem wrote: I prefer Richard Thompson's version, but not bad. +1...This seems a bit rushed to me. |
| Wittgenstein (Sydney, Aus) | Posted: Oct 24, 2008 - 02:59 Please finish! |
| asbellem (toronto) | Posted: Oct 08, 2008 - 07:39 I prefer Richard Thompson's version, but not bad. |
| bam23 (Berkeley) | Posted: Sep 22, 2008 - 11:20 painter wrote: Bonnie doesn't have that self destructive substance abuse thing going like Lowell did. You can still hear him in her slide. I am very pleased that she NO LONGER has a self-destructive thing. The only time I saw her (Philadelphia, probably 1974, with Randy Newman), she kept a Bud by her side during her set, kept making hash jokes, and barely even tried to play her guitar. Drunk is a gentle way to describe the state she was in. Simply strummed what seemed to be random chords. Randy sniffed with a coke nose during his set. I guess things had to settle down, for which we should all be grateful. |
| rtrudeau (Bay Area, California) | Posted: Sep 22, 2008 - 11:15 I can't believe this song isn't rated higher! It's intoxicating. More Bonnie on RP, please. |